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WEBMASTER - A document from the German view point: three battles.

OPERATION OF 1^ST PLATOON, 3^RD COMPANY, 1^ST BATTALION
PARACHUTE ENGINEERS
IN THE SECOND BATTLE AT MONTE CASSINO.

At the beginning of the Second Cassino Battle 3 Company, under the command of Captain Jacobeit, was assault reserve and situated on the reverse slope of Colle San Angelo. We took up positions in crevasses and under overhanging rocks – not a comfortable position but safe from artillery and mortar fire. What, however, was not so good was having to fetch our rations and every drop of water from our supply point some 3 kms away on the Casilina Road, and then carry it up the mountain. On the way to and from the supply point we had to constantly reckon with artillery bombardment, as the enemy naturally knew that all supplies for the Cassino front had to come along this single route. When not assigned to this supply duty it was possible to enjoy the March sunshine.

With the air attack on 15 March this idyllic existence ended, however. 1 and 2 Platoons of our company were placed under command of the 1^st Battalion of the 3^rd  Parachute  Regiment commanded by Major Rudolf Boehmler and on the late afternoon of the 16^th we were on our way, led by Captain Jacobeit. We passed the Massa Albaneta, progressed along the reverse slope of the Kalvar Mountain and then onto the monastery. On the way we were mortared twice but luckily suffered only two light casualties. On arrival at the monastery we reported to Major Boehmler and received our orders.

2 Platoon was ordered to attack the Indians, who had broken through and occupied the high Point 435 on Hangman’s Hill from where they would be able to storm the monastery. 2 Platoon’s objective was to recapture this point but due to the Gurkhas’ superior numbers this was unsuccessful.

We of the 1^st Platoon, 26 men under Corporal Saam, were ordered to clear both hairpin-bends, which were being defended by the Rajputanis and, if possible, to re-occupy Rocca Janula. At 0100hrs we left the monastery loaded down with ammunition and hand grenades, in order to carry out an attack in the early hours. Almost silently we edged our way downwards in the darkness and at about 0400hrs we reached the high Point 236 slightly above the upper bend and where the last 6 men of 3 Company 3^rd Regiment were doggedly defending against the Rajputanis, who had worked their way to within 20 metres of this point. After a short briefing from Lieutenant Haering, officer commanding 3 Company, we attacked immediately but were met with heavy machinegun fire. Many of our grenades also hit tree stumps and came back at us. The second attack was however more successful. Two three-kilo charges thrown by Franz Draeger tore apart a machinegun position manned by the Indians and we immediately stormed into this gap firing our machineguns from the hip. The use of further high explosives enabled us to drive the Rajputanis from the lower hairpin bend. We then had to clear Point 192 to the left of us, which we managed, and pushed on to the saddle connecting Rocca Janula with the slope of Monte Cassino. Here we came to a halt. We remained under heavy defensive fire and as it was now becoming light we pulled back to Point 196 and the upper hairpin bend. We dug in here and covered the only connecting route leading to the Gurkhas on Point 435 with our machineguns. The heavy resistance that we had to overcome led to the conclusion that the Indians were prepared to fight to the last man on Point 236 in order to keep the route free to Hangman’s Hill and the monastery. With our assault group we helped speed up this plan. We did however pay the price for this action with two killed and two seriously injured. Our medical orderly, who was only about 20 metres from us, was captured by the Indians without us being able to intervene.